Empower

Chapter 22

‘It is the strange fate of man, that even in the greatest of evils the fear of the worst continues to haunt him.’

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Carter, Taxi and Milo were already on the plane with Gray by the time I boarded. I was the last to arrive, having chosen to make my own way in. But I’d needed the solo time to get my head – and heart – straight.

I passed the Academy Grigori who’d congregated at the front and paused when I saw Phoenix sitting at the midway point.

‘You okay?’ I asked.

He smirked in that way of his. ‘Your pals at the back tried to jump me when I boarded, but I think we made friends.’

I glanced beyond him to where the Rogues were sitting. Milo had a large bruise forming on his temple. I rolled my eyes but found myself smiling back at Phoenix. ‘Please play nice.’

He sobered and glanced out the window. ‘I’m trying.’

I nodded awkwardly, knowing that he was saying a lot in that statement.

‘Thank you,’ I said, causing his eyes to flash up and meet mine. I wanted to cry when I saw the pain that churned within them and wondered if he saw something similar when he looked in mine. ‘For saving me. I never said thank you.’

‘Definitely beats killing you,’ he said, as if pondering this very idea himself.

We really are a twisted bunch.

‘I’m glad,’ I said, suddenly aware of more than one set of eyes on us. I shifted from foot to foot. ‘I’d better go and …’ I gestured to the back of the plane where the guys were sitting.

‘Yeah,’ he said, looking back to the window. ‘You’d better.’

Making my way down the aisle, I noted that they looked incredibly uncomfortable despite their outward bravado. I shook my head when I saw Milo.

‘You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?’ I said, pointing at his bruised face.

He smiled, cheekily. ‘It’s like a compulsion I can’t control. I see an exile and I have to have it.’

I bit my lips to hold back the laugh. ‘And did you learn your lesson?’

Milo nodded. ‘Fast bastard, isn’t he?’

To that, I couldn’t hold back the chuckle. At least Milo looked like he’d got it out of his system.

‘’Bout time you turned up to your own party, purple,’ Carter said by way of greeting.

‘Boys,’ I nodded to them. ‘Miss me?’ I stifled my own surprise when I realised that I had missed them.

Carter snorted while Taxi and Milo chuckled. ‘You know we did,’ Milo said.

‘This gig paying?’ Carter asked, cutting to the chase when I sat in the spare seat across from him.

I shrugged and glanced over at him. ‘Well, I guess that depends on what value you put on the world as you know it.’

‘Oh, please, spare me. Are you seriously going to pull some save-the-world crap on me?’

I rolled my eyes. I’d known it was a long shot. ‘I’ll figure something out,’ I grumbled.

‘Damn right you will,’ Carter threw back.

‘Did you get anywhere on the exile priest before you left?’

Carter snorted. ‘We only had two days before Gray sent us off to rescue you.’ He gave a toothy grin. ‘Of course we got him. The SOB couldn’t stop himself from trying his moves at a Sunday Mass – daft bugger was so senseless he tried to help himself to Westminster Abbey. Last thing he ever did.’

I smiled, pleased the exile priest was out of the way. And by the look on Carter’s face he had enjoyed being the vehicle of deliverance.

‘Why do they go for religion?’ I asked.

Carter leaned forward. ‘Come on, purple. That’s the easiest question of ’em all. They all want what they can’t have. They think they should be the ones who are worshipped, they think they should be in charge.’

‘And what if one of them has actually created a new religion?’ I asked.

Carter raised his eyebrows. ‘Well, he wouldn’t be the first, but it’s kind of like the ultimate finger to the sky, you know.’

I was surprised by Carter’s response. I lowered my voice. ‘Do you believe in God, Carter?’

‘Hell, purple, I haven’t even had a beer yet.’ He sighed, seeing I was still waiting for his answer. ‘Look, ask yourself this: if there isn’t, do you really wanna know? ’Cause I sure as shit don’t.’

I licked my lips. ‘Good point,’ I admitted.

‘I’m full of them,’ he said, winking at me before looking towards the sound of approaching footsteps. ‘Who are you, then?’ he barked.

I didn’t need to look up to know Lincoln was standing in the aisle. ‘I’m running this mission with Violet,’ he said levelly.

I closed my eyes briefly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear, while pushing my emotions down.

‘Carter, this is Lincoln. He’s … He was my partner.’

‘Is,’ Lincoln interjected.

Carter gave Lincoln a long visual assessment and then turned back to me. And burst out laughing. ‘Pretty boy here was your partner?’

‘Is,’ Lincoln corrected again.

Ignoring Lincoln, I nodded at Carter even as I glared at him.

He choked on his next bout of laughter, wiping his hand down his face. ‘Well, no wonder you came running to us.’

I stood up, ignoring whatever Lincoln had started to say. I hadn’t even been able to bring myself to look at him yet but that didn’t stop an internal raging at Carter’s words. I moved right into his personal space, knowing how much that vexed him.

My voice was surprisingly steady. ‘You don’t get to say that, Carter. You don’t get to pretend like you know me or have any idea why I’ve done the things I’ve done. You definitely don’t get to comment on why I left my partner. He’s a stronger Grigori than you will ever be and not just because he fights harder. It’s because he’s better than any of us. So, listen carefully when I tell you this: Don’t. Go. There.’

I was so close to Carter’s face I saw the flash of fear in his eyes.

‘Yeah, yeah, I hear you, purple.’ He glanced over to Gray. ‘Hell, man. A bit of warning that this dude’s her trigger switch mighta been nice.’

‘And miss this? Never,’ Gray said as I plonked myself back into my seat to the sound of his and Taxi’s laughter.

Finally, I looked up to see Lincoln staring at me, his eyes glassy.

Oh, hell. How am I going to put this one out?

I expected him to sit down and start going over our non-relationship again, or at least the plan for when we arrived in New Orleans, but after a moment his brow furrowed slightly and his eyes cleared, looking into me in a way no one else ever has or will, as he drew his own conclusions.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

Finally, he just bit his lip, smiled warmly at me, then turned and walked back to the front of the plane where Zoe, Salvatore and the others had all been pretending – unsuccessfully – not to gawk.

Phoenix, who was sitting at the halfway mark, didn’t hide the fact that he’d watched the whole thing.

Jesus. This is going to be a long flight.

I did the only thing I could do. I tucked myself into a corner and went to sleep.